Farmer’s markets provide a low-barrier entry point for a budding farmer for them to see if they can be profitable. Shopping at a farmer’s market helps small farmers keep their cash flow positive that helps them continue doing business. If they keep on going, with the support of shoppers, there will only be growth.

It helps the local economy and community

Our vendors come from within 50 miles of the City of Phoenix and it’s no surprise that most of the stuff they sell is locally grown or made. By shopping here, your money stays local; the money is passed on from one consumer to the next and helps establish a stronger local economy. The market also serves as a gathering place for the local community that helps build and strengthen relationships and camaraderie between neighbors of all backgrounds.

Some people think that because it is organic, local and ran on a smaller scale means it is more expensive to cover the costs of production and that extra cost is passed on to the consumer. FALSE! Because products at the market are local it means the cost of transporting these goods diminishes. Rather than coming from across the country or even across the world, nearly all of the products you can buy at the Market are coming from less than 50 miles away, which also means goods are fresher. Market items are commonly picked, baked or prepared fresh and do not have to sit in a refrigerated trailer for more than 24 hours before the market.

2) You can shop local products at grocery stores

This is becoming more of a reality; you do not have to go far to find local products from your area. Woohoo! You may see a number of large grocery stores increasing their supply of locally sourced fruits and vegetables along with a display of local peanut butters, grains and more, making it more accessible for the consumer to eat more sustainably; however, when you come out to the Market, EVERYTHING you shop, eat and enjoy is local. ALL of the produce you shop is sustainably produced and your dollars are going directly to the producer rather than a big box store middle-man.

Jon Przybyl didn’t want to imagine a world without Proof Bread. So, when he heard last June that owner Jared Allen was closing up shop and moving out of state, Jon bought the bakery and spent the few weeks before Jared’s move baking by his side.

“It wasn’t only me that would have been devastated to see Proof go away,” he said.

Use it to top yoghurt, with milk for breakfast, or on its own for a snack. Grab a bar for a burst of hiking or biking energy or share it among your trail buddies broken into crumbles. This sounds like granola, except it’s not. This is “ungranola.”

Made with mainly a mix of nuts and seeds, Sarah Bea’s ungranola includes no grains, gluten, or dairy. Sarah Dunlop experimented with creating her recipe in 2015 when she and her daughter were trying the Paleo Diet, which does not allow eating grains or dairy. Sarah tried store-bought grain-free granolas, but couldn’t find any she really liked. So, she created her own.

At the Open Air Market at Phoenix Public Market, we’re all about helping our community. We help farmers and local businesses get their products to the masses and we help the people of our local community by providing a place where they can easily access those local farmers and businesses to support them. As a nonprofit organization ourselves, we’d like to take a moment to highlight another nonprofit organization we work with that’s making an incredible impact right here in our community as well as around the globe.

Source Local This Father’s Day
Here’s our Market Guide to a perfect day for dad.

Join us at the Market each Saturday to find everything you need for a Fathers Day feast, whether grilling outdoors or cooking up something special in the kitchen. Source more than just delicious foods locally, shop local gifts for dad too! You can find special gifts like…

We want to take a moment and acknowledge the humans who dedicate their Saturdays at the Market. Whether it’s once a week or once a month, our volunteers make the Market a special experience each and every week. It takes a lot of elbow grease to create a smooth, consistent experience every Saturday and we rely heavily on volunteer help!

Our volunteers greet each market-goer with enthusiasm and warmth as they pass through our endearing alley entrance.

They sweep up with a smile, ensuring that not only our lot and event space is tidy, but that the whole neighborhood is looking its best.

They take ownership of fun programs, such as the Market Sprouts booth, to make our market well-rounded.

They represent the market, getting to know the vendors and products, navigating the aisles and directing lost market-goers like it’s truly home.

They make trips out to farms and commercial kitchens and write up blog posts – on top of their full-time job’s workload – so that we can educate our customers about the heart and process behind the haul. [See Marlys’ great work here]

They assist vendors and special guests, acting quickly to support market programs and shoppers.

They are accountants, retired elementary school teachers, high school students, and writers. They come to the market as reprieve from daily life, seeking the familiar smiling faces (and pastries) that will get them through the next 6 days until Saturday rolls around again. They come to the market to be part of something bigger than their bubble, to make an impact and help the community thrive and grow.

Make your Saturdays something to seriously look forward to – become a market volunteer! There are many positions to fill and we can always use extra hands. We’ll see you soon (in an orange apron)…

It’s every Arizonan’s duty to be able to recite the 5 C’s like the ABC’s: Cotton, Copper, Cattle, Climate, and CITRUS!

In the early years of Arizona’s history, citrus was a major player in the fate of Arizona’s economy. Citrus was brought over to the Southwest in the 18th century by Spanish settlers. As grapefruit in particular gained popularity during the 1930s, more than 1 million crates of grapefruits were produced by our state in the year of 1935.

The industry flocked to Arizona, landing mainly in the Arcadia and Mesa areas, where many groves are landmarks for historic neighborhoods. The sprawl of these neighborhoods and urban areas in general encroaching on farmland is largely why orchards declined heavily in the 1990s.

Our warm and sunny climate creates a perfect incubator for sweet, juicy citrus of many varieties. Today, shoppers at Phoenix Public Market can find tangelos, kumquats, ruby reds, and so much more in overwhelming abundance at every grower’s stand. The ubiquity of citrus in our Phoenician lives can make the fruit mundane and cumbersome, but there are plenty of ways to enjoy it and reap the nutritional benefits–it’s time to get creative!

Read on for 4 ways get excited about our prolonged and plentiful citrus season…